Swap Talk

by Niki Kourofsky

Wollastonite photograph by Flickr user Maggie

New York State legislators are currently considering a measure to swap 200 acres of forest preserve in the Jay Mountain Wilderness Area for a tract worth at least one million dollars. The trade would give NYCO Minerals, a wollastonite mining operation, room to expand. Without the deal NYCO may have to shutter its Lewis operations within a few years, putting dozens of local jobs at risk. But opponents argue that the exchange would set dangerous precedent, allowing for a land swap for profit free-for-all.